Bathing cap having snap-in waterproof safety pouch



June 14, 1966 J. c. PASTORE 3,255,460

BATHING CAP HAVING SNAP-IN WATERPROOF SAFETY POUCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 20, 1964 .m Z. 2 P e 0 a S O Y IIIII ATTORNEYS.

June 14, 1966 J. c. PASTORE 3,255,460

BATHING CAP HAVING SNAP-IN WATERPROOF SAFETY POUCH Filed May 20, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 71g [5 INVENTOR.

Josepb C iZzsZore United States Patent 3,255,460 BATHING CAP HAVING SNAP-IN WATERPROOF SAFETY POUCH Joseph C. Pastore, 835 Wilcox Ave., Bronx, N.Y. 10465 Filed May 20, 1964, Ser. No. 368,806 2 Claims. (Cl. 268) This invention relates to a waterproof, detachable, flexible plastic pouch or container for use in bathing caps, sun hats, and other headgear.

- According to the invention there is provided a pouch or container made of flexible plastic material such as vinyl, polyethylene, or other suitable sheet plastic material. The sheet plastic may be transparent, translucent or opaque and may be made up in various colors. The pouch has agenerally elongated form with heat-sealed edges. At one end of the pouch is a plastic, press-fitted, molded strip closure heat-sealed to the sides of the pouch. At the other closed end of the pouch may be provided a snap fastener, hook or other fastener member by means of which the pouch may be detachably engaged with a mating fastener member inside a bathing cap or the like. The pouch can be filled with various personal articles such as money, jewelry, watch, rings, cosmetics, etc., which a bather can carry safely inside the cap when the cap is being worn on the bathers head. The waterproof pouch will keep the contents thereof ina dry condition. The pouch can be removed and detachably supported on a bathing suit, belt or the like, provided with a suitable fastener element to engage the mating fastener element on the pouch. In another form of the invention, the elongated pouch has the closure centrally located with fastener elements on opposite closed ends of the pouch.

The fastener elements on the pouch can be secured together so that the pouch can be carried like a purse or handbag. The fastener members on the opposite ends of the pouch can be detachably secured to mating fastener members inside a bathing cap or other headgear.

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a waterproof, detachable, flexible plastic pouch for carrying personal articles in a bathing cap.

Another object is to provide a waterproof, plastic pouch as described, with a closure formed of plastic, press-fitted molded strip parts.

A further object is to provide a waterproof plastic pouch with heat-sealed edges, with a fastener member on one end and a plastic closure at the other end, or with fastener members at both ends and with a plastic closure at the center.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure: 7

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a bathing cap carrying a pouch embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the pouch alone with closure shown opened.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a further enlarged sectional view of parts of the pouch, similar -to portions of FIG. 4, showing the closure closed.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a hat showing a pouch therein.

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of another bathing cap with a pouch therein.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a front elevational view of another bathing cap with a pouch embodying another form of the invention, shown in the cap.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken on line 1111 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged side view of the pouch of FIGS. 10 and 11.

FIG. 13 is a further enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken on lines 1313 of FIG. 12, parts being broken away.

FIG. 14 is an end elevational view of the pouch of FIG. 12 on a reduced scale shown folded for being carried like a handbag.

Referring first to FIGS. 1-6, there is shown a pouch or container P having an elongated tapered outline with a wider rounded, sealed end 15 and a straight opposite narrower open end 16 provided with a closure 20. The pouch has two side walls 22, 24 formed from flexible, plastic, non-porous, waterproof, sheet material. The registering edges of the side walls are heat-sealed all around to form a continuous, narrow, fused seam 25. The closure 20 has a first molded strip 26 secured at one edge to the straight edge of side wall 22 by a fused seam 28. The strip 26 has a loWer free edge formed with a pair of spaced ridges 30 defining a groove 32 therebetween. The ridges are formed like beads and are generally cylindrical in cross section as clearly shown in FIG. 6. These ridges and groove face away from the inner side of wall 22 toward wall 24. Closure 20 includes a second molded strip '34 whose lower edge portion is fused by a seam 35 to the upper edge or end of wall 24 on its inner side facing fall 22. The upper edge 36 of the strip 34 is free.

Strip 34 has three parallel ridges 38a, 38b, and 380 spaced by grooves 39. The ridges are generally cylindrical in cross section. The two grooves 39 can receive ridges 30 of strip 26 in a snug press fit. Central ridge 38b engages in groove 32. Outer ridges 38a, 38c engage outer edges of ridges 30. The upper edge 36 can be grasped by fingernails for pulling the engaged closure strips 26, 34 apart from the closed position of FIG. 6 to the open position of FIG. 4. The flexible closure strips can be pressed together for engaging the several ridges and grooves. The narrow necks N of the ridges are flexible so that the ridges and grooves yield to permit the snug engagement and easy disengagement required. When the closure is closed as shown in FIG. 6, the interior of the pouch is hermetically sealed closed against entry of air and water.

At the sealed rounded end 15 of the pouch is a snap fastener member 40. This is shown as a female member in FIGS. 3 and 4. This member has a locking element 41 on its outer side engaging a crimped element 42 with a central portion of seam 25 therebetween. A spring ring 44 is engaged in crimped element 42 for receiving a stud projecting inwardly of a male snap fastener element 45 provided on a bathing cap 50.

The snap fastener element 45 is provided at the rear of the cap so that the pouch P can extend upwardly inside the cap with the closure 20 at the top of the cap. The pouch will be held in place by the wearers head upon which the cap 50 will be fitted and held by chain strap 52. Lateral snap fasteners 53 are provided for engaging mating fasteners on the ends of the chin strap.

The pouch P can hold various personal articles which the wearer of the bathing cap requires close at hand. The closed pouch is safely retained inside the cap. The con- '3 tents of the pouch remain in a dry, protected condition inside the closed pouch.

FIG. 7 shows how the flexible pouch P can be worn inside a sun hat or beach hat 55 with wide brim 59. The hat has an inner band 56. One end of the pouch, either the rounded end 15 or the straight end 16, can be tucked inside the band while the remaining body of the pouch conforms generally to the inside of the hat. The band 56 may be provided with a male fastener member 57 to engage with female fastener member 40, or the mating fastener member on the band 56 can be omitted and the pouch can be held inside the band as shown in FIG. 7, without fastening.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show a bathing cap 60 which has an inner band 56' provided with a male fastener member 57' for engaging with fastener member 40 of pouch P. This cap, like cap 50, safely carries the pouch P which keeps its contents in a dry, protected condition.

FIGS. l13 show another pouch P' which is generally similar to pouch P but is about twice as long. Pouch P' has two opposite, sealed rounded ends 15". A heatsealed seam extends all around the pouch. The pouch has a centrally located closure 20' extending across one side. Mating snap fastener members 40, 40 are provided at opposite sealed, rounded ends of the pouch. These fastener members can be engaged with each other as shown in FIG. 14 to form a loop, so that the pouch can be carried on a persons arm like a purse or handbag.

The bathing cap 50 is provided with two snap fastener members 45, 45' at front and rear edges for detachably engaging the two members 40, 40'. The pouch extends along the underside of the cap.

The plastic closure 20' is similar to closure 20. The upper end edge of strip 34' is secured by a fused seam 35' to the lower edge 24' of flexible plastic wall 24a. The free lower edge 36a of strip 34' is exposed for being grasped by fingernails to open the closure. Ridges 38a,

' 38b and 380 of strip 34' extend inwardly toward the inner side of wall 22a of the pouch. Strip 26' of the closure has transverse ridges 30' engageable in groves 39' of strip 34 in a snug press fit, while ridge 38b engages in groove 32' and ridges 38a, 38c engage at ridges 30'. The lower edge of strip 26 is securedby a fused seam 28' to the upper edge of plastic wall 24b of the pouch. When the closure strips are mutually engaged the closure 20' is hermetically closed and walls 24a, 24b form a continuous closed wall opposing wall 22'.

The two snap fastener members 40, 40 can be engaged with the two snap fastener members 57', 57" on the band 56 of cap 60. Instead of snap fasteners, hooks and eyes, or other types of detachable fasteners can be provided. Suitable fastener members can be provided on a bathing suit, bathing trunks or other garment for supporting either of the pouches P and P when the pouch is not carried insidea bathing cap.

In all forms of the pouch, there are the characteristics and features of flexible, plastic Walls; waterproof construction; hermetically sealed edges; flexible, plastic strip closure; light weight; and ready detachability. The pouches are inexpensively fabricated by mass production machinery.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1. In a bathing cap or the like having a first fastener member inside the cap, a pouch for carrying personal articles, comprising a pair of flexible non-porous sheets each having a wide rounded end, a narrower straight, transverse end and tapering straight lateral edges, the wide ends and straight edges of the sheets being secured together by a fused narrow seam to define a waterproof container with a single transverse opening at the straight ends of the sheets, a closure at said opening, said closure comprising a pair of flexible plastic strips said strips having interfitting disengageable ridges and grooves at abutting portions thereof, other portions of the strips being secured to adjacent straight edges of the sheets respectively, one of said strips having a free edge which can be grasped for separating the mutually engaged strips to open said closure, and a second snap fastener member at the other end of said container detachably engaged with the first fastener member in the cap while the container conforms to the inner side of the cap.

2. In a bathing cap or the like having first fastener members at opposite inner sides of the cap, a pouch for carrying personal articles comprising a first elongated flexible plastic sheet, a second flexible plastic sheet having one end registering with one end of the first sheet, a third flexible sheet having one end registering with the other end of the first sheet, said second and third sheets having lateral edges registering with lateral edge portions of the first sheet, said registering ends and edges of the sheets being secured together in a continuous, fused seam to define an elongated closed container with a single transverse, centrally located opening at unattached adjacent other ends of the second and third sheets, a closure at said opening, said closure comprising a pair of flexible plastic strips respectively secured to the adjacent other ends of the seuond and third sheets, said strips having interfitting disengageable flexible ridges and grooves, one of said strips having a free edge for separating the strips to open said closure, and'mating fastener members at opposite ends of said container for detachably mounting said container on mating fastener members inside said cap with the container conforming in curvature to the inside of the cap, and whereby the mating fastener members at opposite ends of the container can be mutually engaged when the container is outside of said cap for carrying the container like a purse.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,361,289 12/1920 Rosenzweig 2-68 X 1,525,333 2/1925 Speirs 224-26.7 1,989,527 1/1935 Powers 224-26] 2,823,720 2/1958 Svec 24201.3

FOREIGN PATENTS 125,395 11/1931 Austria. 957,825 5/1964 Great Britain.

FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, M. J. COLITZ,

Assistant Examiners. 

1. IN A BATHING CAP OR THE LIKE HAVING A FIRST FASTENER MEMBER INSIDE THE CAP, A POUCH FOR CARRYING PERSONAL ARTICLES COMPRISING A PAIR OF FLEXIBLE NON-POROUS SHEETS EACH HAVING A WIDE ROUNDED END, A NARROWER STRAIGHT, TRANSVERSE END HAVING AND TAPERING STRAIGHT LATERAL EDGES, THE WIDE ENDS AND STRAIGHT EDGES OF THE SHEETS BEING SECURED TOGETHER BY A FUSED NARROW SEAM TO DEFINE A WATERPROOF CONTAINER WITH A SINGLE TRANSVERSE OPENING AT THE STRAIGHT ENDS OF THE SHEETS, A CLOSURE AT SAID OPENING, SAID CLOSURE COMPRISING A PAIR OF FLEXIBLE PLASTIC STRIPS, SAID STRIPS HAVING INTERFITTING DISENGAGEABLE RIDGES AND GROOVES AT ABUTTING PORTIONS THEREOF, OTHER PORTIONS OF THE STRIPS 